Munster and Ulster bag the points

Munster maintained their 100 per cent Celtic League record with a win over Swansea - but they were given a late scare by the …

Munster 38 Swansea 27

Munster maintained their 100 per cent Celtic League record with a win over Swansea - but they were given a late scare by the Welshman at Musgrave Park tonight.

Four late tries for the visitors could not stop Munster, though, who recorded their fourth victory out of four in Pool A.

Munster full-back Jeremy Staunton kicked the home side into a 12-3 lead with four successful penalties in the opening 20 minutes after Swansea had opened the scoring with a second-minute drop goal from Arwel Thomas.

Mossie Lawlor was first to cross the Welshmen's try line just before half-time, finishing off in the corner after some heavy Munster pressure in front of the posts. Staunton converted and Alan Gaffney's side went in for the half-time break 19-3 ahead.

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After the break, Dominic Crotty intercepted a loose Swansea pass on his own 22 and raced up field, cutting inside last man Thomas to touch down for his side's second try of the night.

Staunton missed his conversion attempt, but Crotty added another try on 51 minutes and this time the full-back's conversion went over off an upright to stretch the lead to 31-3.

Swansea showed their fighting spirit when Thomas breached the Munster try-line in the 64th minute, converting his own handiwork to bring the Welshmen back to 31-10.

And there was further hope when Steve Winn crossed over in the 70th minute for an uncoverted try.

The home side had not finished, though, and scrum-half Mike Prendergast's try with two minutes to go all but confirmed victory.

Staunton converted, yet there was still time for Swansea to mount another mini-recovery as first Colin Charvis and then Gavin Henson went over.

Thomas converted one and the scoreline at last had a respectable look about it for the travelling Welshmen.

Ulster 17 Neath 13

Ulster got their Celtic League campaign back on track and inflicted a first defeat of the competition on Neath in a tense tussle at Raven Hill.

Ulster went in to the match missing no fewer than 10 first choice players due to a combination of injuries, illnesses and unavailability due to Ireland's World Cup qualifying match in Russia.

Not surprisingly it showed in the first quarter against a Neath team who had come to Raven Hill with three wins out of three under their belt.

But a bumper Belfast crowd of 10,000 gave Ulster great support and helped them turn a 10-0 deficit into what, in the circumstances, was a famous victory.

Alan Solomon's side seemed on course for a hat-trick of defeats when they fell behind to a Lee Jarvis penalty and his conversion of a try by Welsh wing wizard Shane Williams in the opening half hour.

Missed kicks to touch by Ulster and probing kicks from Jarvis had kept the hosts pinned in their own territory for most of the game up until then, but they finally got a break on 33 minutes.

Neath's prop Duncan Jones was sin-binned for offending at the scrum and Ireland A pivot Neil Doak put over the penalty to get them home side on the board.

The whole team made the most of the numerical advantage, following up until a brilliant Brian Cunningham try before the interval.

Full-back Cunningham stamped delightfully through the defence after a long pass by Adam Larkin had brought Ireland's James Topping through off his wing, and Doak converted to level the scores.

Doak missed a penalty after Jones was lucky to avoid a red card but winger Tyrone Howe burst through for a superb Ulster score just before the hour mark.

The conversion from Doak made it 17-10 and Jarvis missed another penalty, before landing one to reduce the arrears to four points.

Doak missed a penalty attempt either side of the Jarvis score but those misses were not punished.